


Choosing My Family

by Taurnil



Series: Zoro Being a Super Awesome Boyfriend [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assault, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Vinsmoke Sanji, Coming Out, Demisexual Roronoa Zoro, Domestic Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, Flashbacks, Gender Dysphoria, Homophobia, MTF Sanji, Medical Needle Use, Misgendering, Racism, Rough Sex, Self-Harm, Sex, Sex Toys, Sexism, Therapy, Trans Female Character, Trans Sanji, Transgender Vinsmoke Sanji, Transphobia, mentions of kinks, unsupportive family members
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:35:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taurnil/pseuds/Taurnil
Summary: Judge does not take Sanji's coming out well. Under her mother's wishes, Sanji tries to keep bonds with the rest of her family, but her father isn't making things easy.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Roronoa Zoro/Sanji
Series: Zoro Being a Super Awesome Boyfriend [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927354
Comments: 18
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been going through some shit, so I'm once again taking it out on Sanji and Zoro. I am still working on Day to Day and accepting prompts for the story, I just wanted to make this a separate story since things are going to get dark and violent. Strap in.
> 
> WARNINGS: Self-harm. Violence and assault. Transphobic, homophobic, sexist, and racist language. Medical needle use. 
> 
> EDIT: I've decided to edit and extend this story, including some chapters from Day to Day. I wrote this story quickly as I way to get out my own angst, but now I want to develop it, turn it into a better piece of writing and a more interesting sequel.

_Sanji stared at himself in the large bathroom mirror. The mirror reached down to his mid-section, ending just below his hips. He could see every part of him, his chest, his flat abs. His…_

_Sanji shut his eyes. He felt the throbbing inside his chest. The desperate throbbing that had always been there. The black mass that was forever inside his heart. Sanji didn’t know how to explain it, but it had been there for as long as he could remember. The feeling of being broken and lost._

_He’d had thought it would get easier when he came to terms to being bisexual. Sure, things had been better after he started dating Zoro. They had been dating for around a year now and had just moved in together. Sanji had been so excited, jumping into Zoro’s arms as soon as the landlord had left, leaving the keys in their hands. His heart had fluttered, filled with love for his boyfriend. Zoro had spun him around, whispering in his ear._

_“We did it, babe.” He kissed him softly, bodies falling against the kitchen floor, making love for the first time in their new home._

_But the darkness had returned soon after. All good things in Sanji’s life just seemed to numb him; there didn’t seem to be a cure._

_Sanji felt tears prick the corners of his eyes. Of course he was crying again! He wasn’t a real man._

_Sanji reached into the bathroom cabinet, rummaging at the back for his pack of razor blades. His fingertips brushed over the raised scars over his abdomen. He hadn’t cut himself for a few days, the need overwhelming him. Sanji clutched the razors in his hand, climbing into the bathtub. He sat down on the porcelain, head dropping between his knees, staring at his crotch. He let the tears fall freely, sobs falling from his lips._

_“Babe?” Zoro called, coming through the door. He could see Sanji’s winter coat on it's peg. But maybe he’d just ran to the store or something._

_Zoro threw his hoodie on the kitchen counter, reaching into the fridge for a beer, twisting the cap off with his teeth. He relaxed back against the counter, downing the chilled drink._

_He paused. There was a faint sobbing sound. A chill fell down Zoro’s spine._

_Zoro slammed the two-thirds empty beer bottle down on the counter, running to the bathroom. He’d been worried about Sanji for a while, but his boyfriend didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Zoro had tried not to push him, despite his worries. It was frustrating sure- they hadn’t had sex in weeks! Not since the first couple days in their new apartment when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Since then Sanji had been closed off, putting distance between him and Zoro, almost as if he were avoiding him. Zoro tried not to think too much about it, chalking it up to the stress of adapting to the move. He was sure Sanji would talk to him when he wanted to._

_But now; there was something about the sobs, the terrifying chilling sound that threw all resolve out of the window._

_“Cook!” Zoro shouted, banging on the locked bathroom door. “Fucks sake- Sanji! Open the door!”_

_Sanji didn’t reply. Zoro twisted the door handle, trying desperately to open it. He stood back, kicking hard at the door. There was a crack, a crash and the door fell open._

_Zoro's stilled as he saw Sanji sitting naked in the bath, face buried between his knees._

_“Babe…” Zoro stepped closer, kneeling down beside the tub. He wrapped his strong arms around Sanji. It took a few moments, but eventually, the blond turned around, returning the hug, burying his sobbing face into Zoro’s shoulder._

_Zoro swallowed, looking down at Sanji’s naked body. He could see the cuts and burns over Sanji’s abdomen. He didn’t realize things had gotten this bad._

_“Zoro…”_

_Zoro felt his heart sink in his chest. The cook had never sounded so small._

_“It’s okay, babe,” Zoro whispered, stroking his soft hair. “It’s okay. We’ll get you help.”_

_They sat there for a while, holding each other until the sobs stopped._

*****

Zoro leaned on his hand, laying on his side in the bed, watching Sanji sleep. She looked so peaceful, a small content smile on her face. He reached out, running his hand down her side, caressing the slight curve on her hips.

He sighed. She was alright now. Sanji was alright. Everything was going to be alright.

She’d scared him so much two years ago when he’d found her in the bath. Seeing her hurting like that had made him feel so helpless. Zoro knew he was strong, he would stand up for Sanji and his friends no questions ask, willing to take on any physical threat. But he had had no idea how he could protect his lover from herself. 

The swordsman moved closer, still stroking the soft skin beneath his hand. Zoro had seen Sanji after a tournament, standing tall and steady while her opponent, sometimes twice the size of her, lay crying on the ground. But when it came to her own demons, he knew Sanji could still be very vulnerable. He didn’t want her to hurt anymore. He never wanted to come home and find her crying in the bath again. No matter what happened, he would do his best to make her happy. 

His large hand slipped underneath the loose, grey t-shirt she wore to bed, brushing up her naked thighs. Moving upwards to Sanji’s hips, Zoro's fingers brushed over the small bumps where her cuts had been. They weren’t visible anymore, but Zoro could swear he could still feel them.

The sleeping body beside him shifted, snuggling into his side.

“Not right now,” She mumbled, assuming he wanted sex. “In the morning, okay?” Zoro chuckled, holding her tight so her head rested on his shoulder.

“Sure, babe.” He kissed her soft hair. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Marimo.”

*****

“So, do I just… stick it in?” Zoro asked, hand hovering over the needle.

“Yes. Push it in, then pull back to make sure you haven’t hit a vein. If there is no blood, carry on with the injection.”

Sanji leant against the sofa, bending over slightly. Her trousers had been lowered, exposing her buttocks to her boyfriend. In any ordinary situation, the position would drive Zoro completely mad with lust. But now he was just staring at her, thinking of all the ways he could fuck this up.

His girlfriend had managed to convince Dr. Ivankov to let her try estrogen injections as she had struggled with her pills since the beginning. Remembering to take them every day was a hassle with her busy lifestyle- not to mention the more embarrassing side effects that came with them. Long trips were now causing her a lot of anxiety, having to worry about stopping to pee or using the gross train bathrooms and having to pee almost every hour was getting very frustrating during The Baratie’s rush periods. After Sanji had tried to hold it during her Saturday shift, having gone to the bathroom at least twice since the rush had begun, she’d ended up peeing herself just a little bit. Luckily, she had a spare pair of underwear in her locker- but was officially sick of the pills.

Dr. Ivankov had talked to her about the side effects of injections, such as weight gain or mood swings, along with a spike in her testosterone for a few weeks after stopping her blockers. Something that would be hard on her body, both physically and mentally. But Sanji was adamant that she wanted to give it a try.

Now she had her prescription and was waiting for her boyfriend to get on with it.

“Come on, Marimo!” Sanji grumbled. “I have other stuff I wanted to do tonight.”

Zoro squeezed another layer of hand sanitiser into his palm, rubbing it over his skin. He finally picked up the needle, hovering the tip above the disinfected portion of Sanji’s buttock.

“Are you sure you want me to do this?” Zoro asked, still holding the needle. “Why don’t we just call Chopper?”

“You really want Chopper coming over to stare at my ass every four weeks?” Sanji said exasperatedly, looking at him over the shoulder. “Come on, just hurry up.”

Zoro shrugged. He placed his hand against Sanji’s firm buttock, pushing the needle into the muscle slowly. It was harder than he thought to pull back, the syringe resisting. But finally, it moved up a little, a small air bubble rising above the liquid containing no blood.

“Okay,” Zoro said. “Brace yourself.”

He pushed down, the thick liquid slowly entering the muscle.

“Oh, shit…” Sanji mumbled against the sofa.

“Does it hurt?” Zoro asked, pausing the injection.

“No, no,” Sanji insisted. “It just feels weird. My butt feels full.”

“Oh yeah?” A hand ran up her back.

“Shut-up you perv!”

"Hypocrite." Zoro chuckled, pushing the last of the hormone inside Sanji.

“Okay. All done.” He pulled it out, placing the needle back on the table.

He noticed a small bead of blood forming where he’d pulled out the needle.

“Fuck! You’re bleeding, baby!” Zoro said, panicking a little, thinking he’d hit a vein.

“Don’t lose your shit, Marimo,” Sanji said, straightening herself up carefully. “A little blood is normal afterwards. You did good.”

Zoro paused but decided to take her word for it, heading into the bathroom for their box of band-aids. He placed one tightly over the small dot of blood before he leaned in, kissing over the band-aid.

“What are you doing?” Sanji turned to ruffle Zoro’s hair.

“Just appreciating my beautiful girlfriend’s butt!” Zoro said, grinning against the flesh. “Think you can handle a little appreciation?”

“Oh yeah, babe.” Sanji turned around fully, trousers falling completely to the floor, her pantie-covered crotch in front of Zoro’s face. “Appreciate the fuck out of me!”

Zoro wasted no time, reaching around to hold Sanji’s buttocks in his hands, laying soft kisses over her abdomen. Sanji winced at the contact, Zoro immediately pulling away.

“You alright?” He asked, hands dropping to his knees. “Did it hurt?”

Sanji immediately shook her head, bracing herself on the arm of the couch.

“No it doesn’t hurt,” She tried to explain. “Just feels kind of tender.” Her eyes turned down towards her boyfriend, still kneeling on the floor. Zoro saw the wicked glint that grew in that familiar blue gaze, along with a mischievous grin. “Perhaps too tender.”

Zoro met her look, excitement growing inside him.

“Get the thing.”

Sanji kicked her pants off, moving quickly into the bathroom. Zoro headed to the bedroom, pulling his shirt off on the way, wanting to be naked by the time Sanji came back. He fell backward onto their bed, moving his hand over his growing erection, shivering with anticipation. Sanji stepped in through the open door. She’d removed her socks, unbuttoning her blouse to reveal her green, lacey bralette. The one she would tease matched Zoro’s hair. She stepped forward, holding out her hand, the thick purple strap-on in her grip.

“Get yourself ready,” Sanji commanded, her tone holding no argument.

Zoro didn’t bother voicing a reply, reaching to their bedside table for the large bottle of lube, pumping some into his palm. He rubbed the slick gel over his fingers, throwing the bottle on the bed within Sanji’s reach. Zoro watched her as he slipped fingers inside himself, preparing himself for his girlfriend, stretching himself open with slow, fluid movements. Sanji lowered her panties, throwing them into the laundry basket along with her blouse, before coating her own hand with the gel. She slicked up her half-hard arousal, carefully easing it inside the hollow tube of the strap-on. Sanji liberally coated the shaft of the toy in lube, knowing it was a big thing to take- even for someone as tough as Zoro. Her boyfriend let her prepare the toy, sitting up to lock his lips with hers. His thick fingers snapped at the strap of her bra, pulling it away so he could hold her breasts in the palms of his hands. Zoro shivered as he caressed Sanji's breasts. They always felt so perfect in his hands, so soft and warm. He moaned in protest as Sanji pushed him back down, her hand wrapped around the strap-on. 

“You ready?” Sanji whispered, moving forward on the bed until she sat between her boyfriend’s thick thighs.

“Fuck yeah!” Zoro gasped out, reaching for Sanji's shoulders, gripping them tight. “Fuck me, you stupid, Love-Cook!”

Sanji swiftly grabbed Zoro’s leg, throwing it over her shoulder, pressing the tip of the toy inside Zoro’s entrance. Her nails dug into his thigh as she pushed quickly inside, letting Zoro feel it.

“The fuck did you call me!” Sanji growled down at him, a hand coming down to grab at his shoulder, her hips snapping forward with a rough thrust.

“You heard me, you _stupid_ Cook!” Zoro gave her a sly grin- challenging her.

Sanji’s hand grabbed blindly on the bed, looking for the small remote attached to her toy. Gripping it in her right hand, she pressed the button frantically. Zoro’s head threw back, clanging against the metal railing of the headboard, the swordsman screaming as the vibrations shot through his body. He could feel Sanji’s strong, _ridiculously strong,_ hips powering her thrusts. He pushed back against his girlfriend, encouraging her to take him harder. Sanji complied, the bed creaking violently beneath them as she moved above him with strength and elegance. Her lips came down, crashing against Zoro’s mouth, biting onto his bottom lip.

“Fuck, baby!” Zoro moaned against her, grabbing at her shoulders. “More!”

“I got you, Marimo,” Sanji whispered into his ear, before her sharp teeth bit down, tongue playing with his three golden earrings.

Zoro felt himself melting into the bed, Sanji fucking him with all her strength. It was perfect. So fucking perfect. Even now, when she needed the toy to help her, it was still so amazing Zoro grew dizzy with the overwhelming arousal. And Sanji knew exactly what she was doing. Whenever she got the demonic look in her eye, Zoro would prepare himself to give everything to his girlfriend. Letting her take him so hard he would be left with a delightful ache for hours, sometimes days, afterward.

A pathetic sob left his mouth as Sanji pulled out of him, nails digging into his thigh.

"On your knees. Now."

Zoro immediately complied, rolling over to present himself to Sanji. Putting himself in a vulnerable position he'd never allow himself to be in with anyone else.

"Good swordsman."

Sanji dragged her nails down his back, pushing herself roughly back inside him, picking up the same strong pace as before. The swordsman felt a hand reach down to wrap around his cock, squeezing tight, pumping him with a violent, unrelenting rhythm.

“Baby! Fuck, Sanji,” Zoro screamed against her, babbling swears and endearments with every movement. “Sanji… ‘m coming- coming!”

Sanji felt the thick ropes of come coating her hand, spraying over the sheets and Zoro's stomach. She continued her punishing pace, not stopping until she felt her own arousal reach its peak, spilling inside the strap-on. Pushing her hips deeper into her helpless lover.

She grinned down wickedly, watching Zoro squirming on the bed as the toy vibrated against his prostate.

“Fuck, turn it off!” Zoro cringed covering his eyes, trying not to whine from the sensation.

His girlfriend pretended to consider it for a moment but finally took pity on him, slipping out of his body before pressing down the off switch on her toy. She rolled over to the side, reaching to run her fingers through his short hair.

“Good?” She asked eventually, her other hand pulling at the Velcro straps around her waist.

“Fucking perfect,” Zoro mumbled. He rolled over, nuzzling into his girlfriend’s chest, preparing himself for a long nap.

The loud sudden sound of _Panic! At the Disco_ rudely snapped Zoro out of his post-coital bliss, the swordsman immediately tightening his grip around the blonde.

“Leave it,” He growled, not wanting to lose his favorite pillow. Zoro clung tighter as Sanji tried to push him away, his girlfriend sighing exasperatedly. 

"Marimo- Off my tits!" She pushed his limp body. _"Now!"_

Sanji gave him another hard shove, rolling her eyes at him as she pulled herself up. She grabbed a towel from the laundry basket, wrapping the strap-on up before leaving it on the floor and heading into the living room. Walking to the ringing phone on the kitchen counter. 

Upon seeing her mom’s photo on the screen, she immediately blushed. Even if the magic of phone calls meant her mom wouldn’t see her, it still didn’t feel right talking to her mom completely naked, her hair messed up and body sticky from sex. But she didn’t want to miss the call.

Zoro rolled over in the bed, hearing the mumbling of Sanji talking from the living room. He settled down into his pillow- complaining to himself that it wasn't nearly as comfortable as Sanji's boobs, waiting for her to finish and come back to bed. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes. He could no longer hear Sanji talking, so her call must have finished. Growling in frustration, Zoro pushed himself out of bed, walking naked out of the bedroom to pull his girlfriend back.

He paused in the hallway. Sanji was standing still. Her abandoned pants in one hand, phone in the other, her face twisted.

“What’s up?” Zoro asked, leaning against the wall.

“Its mom,” Sanji whispered, tapping the phone against her lips. “She says she needs to talk about something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sanji's strap-on:
> 
> https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/sex-toys/strap-ons/hollow-strap-ons/p/lovehoney-perfect-partner-unisex-hollow-10-function-vibrating-strap-on-8-inch/a35672g65268.html


	2. Chapter 2

_Sanji took a deep breath, counting backward from ten. She sat stiffly in Caroline’s chair, staring at her hands in her lap, her legs crossed. Caroline stared at her from across the room, sitting in a similar position, her pad and pen on the table beside her._

_“So how are you feeling, Sanji?” She asked, her voice calm and collected. She noticed Sanji trembling._

_“I guess… I’m okay.” She took another deep breath. “I have my appointment with Dr Ivankov next week.”_

_“I remember,” Caroline said with a smile. “They’ve been in touch. I sent them your notes as we discussed.”_

_“Good.”_

_There was another pause._

_“Sanji, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the right path for you,” Caroline said carefully. “Dr Ivankov will trust my opinion, I’ve worked with them a lot before as we’ve talked about. But if you want to move forward with treatment, you’ll need to start living full-time as a woman.”_

_“I know,” Sanji groaned. She buried her face in her hands, running her fingers through her hair._

_Since coming to terms with being transgender, she’d adjusted her appearance ever so slightly. She’d started painting her nails, normally black or navy blue. She’d been growing her hair out, her bangs still covering her right eye, but flowing down a couple of extra inches at the back. She’d been very careful to keep the changes subtle, but every small detail made the ache in her heart easier to handle._

_Sanji had been delaying telling her friends for many reasons. She loved her small family dearly and couldn’t bear the thought of losing them. The thought of losing Zoro, her wonderful boyfriend, made her sick to her stomach._

_“Sanji, I know this is scary,” Caroline said softly. “But have some faith in your friends. They’re not like your birth family. You’re lucky, you got to choose your family. And more importantly, they chose you. That shows how much they care about you.”_

_A single tear fell down Sanji’s face._

_“I know… I’m just so scared.” She sat back, her fingers drumming on the packet of cigarettes in her pocket. “We’ve been through so much together.”_

_“Which means they’ve been through as much with you.” Caroline leaned forward. “Listen, I can’t promise that everyone will be alright with this. I can’t promise that everyone will understand. But if they are worth keeping around, they’ll try.” Sanji’s lip trembled._

_“But… Zoro…”_

_“Sanji, sexuality is a lot more complicated than just gay or straight,” Caroline explained. “We’ve talked about that before. I’ve had many clients who have moved forward with their partners after transitioning.”_

_Sanji nodded, but it didn’t stop the ache in her heart, telling her she was about to lose Zoro. She looked up at Caroline, her purple glasses shining in the light._

_“I’ll do it,” She promised. “I’ll tell them before I see Dr Ivankov. I know I have to.”_

_“Don’t force yourself, Sanji,” Caroline said. “But yes, it’ll be better if you start living full-time before then. Do you need me to contact your employer?”_

_“No.” Sanji shuddered at the thought of Zeff getting an official letter from her therapist. “I think it’s better if I talk to him myself.”_

_“That’s good,” Caroline agreed. “Let me know how things go, alright?”_

_“I don’t think I have a choice,” Sanji said with a small smile. “That’s kind of your job.”_

_Caroline smiled back, nodding at her._

_“You’ve come a long way, Sanji. You should be really proud of yourself.”_

_“I am.”_

_*****_

_Sanji leaned over the stove, chain-smoking through half a packet of cigarettes, staring at the cookies._

_“Cook?”_

_She jumped hearing Zoro behind her._

_“Yeah?” She quickly picked up the baking tray, pouring the cookies onto a plate._

_“You need any help in here?”_

_“No, I’m good. Nearly done now.” She lit up another cigarette, reaching into the fridge for a tray of cold canapes._

_Sanji felt strong arms wrap around her waist. Zoro nuzzling into her neck, kissing her softly._

_“Are you alright?” He asked. Sanji sighed, leaning back against him. She was going to miss this so much._

_“I-I’m fine.” Sanji knew that Zoro knew she was lying, but he didn’t say anything. He just kissed the back of her neck again before pulling away._

_“Okay, well I’m out here if you need me.”_

_Sanji nodded. She continued to stare at the kitchen wall, hearing her friends laughing behind her. It sounded like they were having a wonderful evening. She hoped she wasn’t about the ruin it._

_She stubbed the end of the cigarette out in her overflowing ashtray, taking the trays in her hands. She placed them down on the coffee table, Luffy immediately attacking them. Sanji reached for the speaker, turning off the music._

_All eyes turned on her._

_“So, guys… I kind of have something to tell you…”_

*****

Sanji stared at the clock in the kitchen. Zoro could be at the gym for anything between one or three more hours. She rubbed at her eyes, reaching for her cigarettes, and lighting up. She took a deep drag, staring at the counter. She’d been cooking all day. Zoro would have a great feast when he came home, the kitchen filled with the smells of roasted meats, citrus sauces, and fresh pastry. Perhaps she’d call Luffy and invite him over. Maybe she could call all their friends and have an impromptu dinner party?

She sighed again, rolling her sushi mat over the counter. There didn’t seem to be any theme for this cooking extravaganza. Spinach and feta parcels cooled on the baking rack, duck breast with apricot was currently taking up the oven and a pile of inari parcels was taking up a shelf in the fridge. Maybe she’d force herself to stop after the sushi. Maybe.

It hadn’t been a good few days.

Sora had arrived at The Baratie last week filled with love, support, and the best intentions. She had entered the dining hall declaring proudly that she had a table for one booked, but would like to say hello to her daughter, the Sous-Chef, before ordering her dinner. Sanji had been overjoyed at the surprise visit, stepping out to give her mother a warm hug.

After her shift, Sanji had taken a plate of leftovers and gone to sit with her mother while the waiters finished cleaning up around them. Her mother had ordered another bottle of wine, sharing it with her daughter as they caught up. Sora asked how Zoro was, even asking about his upcoming Kendo tournament. It had seemed to be a perfect evening.

Before Sora had ruined it by bringing up Judge.

“We need to tell your father,” Sora blurted out, completely out of no-where.

Sanji paused; her glass of wine at her lips. She stared at her mother.

“You know your brother is getting married in the spring?” Sora continued. Sanji nodded half-heartedly, not caring at all about Niji’s personal life. “Well, I think it’s best if we let the rest of the family know now, rather than putting things off. It wouldn’t do any good to lie to them.”

Sanji shuddered but knew her mother was right. She knew Judge wasn’t going to be okay with this, neither were her brothers. But that also meant there was no point delaying the inevitable.

She hadn’t even tried to hide things when she took the train down to her parent’s house two days later. She didn’t wear any make-up and wore flat shoes, but had also worn her favourite black bra and a fitted button-up shirt. Zoro had offered to go with her, but Sanji didn't let him. Judge would undoubtedly be pissed and the last thing she would need would be her boyfriend ending up in prison for battery or murder.

Sora had given her a wavy smile when Sanji entered the parlour.

“You look beautiful, Sanji,” She said softly, taking her daughter’s hand.

“Thank you, Maman,” Sanji replied, kissing her on the cheek. “You do too.”

They waited in silence for Judge, time passing differently in the small parlour from the rest of the world. Sanji felt her mother squeeze her hand as the door opened.

Judge paused, standing in the open doorway, his large hand still on the handle.

“ _Qui fait-il ici?”_ Judge asked, a snarl on his face as he looked at Sanji. Sanji froze as his eyes went up and down her body, staring at her breasts. “ _Ce que se passe?”_

“Judge, darling,” Sora said, her voice wavering slightly. “Sanji and I have something to tell you.”

Judge stood still, staring at Sanji. Breath hissing through his teeth.

“No,” He growled. “No, absolutely not!” Judge pulled Sanji up by her shoulder. She wanted to keep hold of her mother but let go out of fear of Judge hurting her. “You go upstairs and get changed right now! Take that stupid thing off. If you want to be a silly little faggot and dress up like a woman you do it on your own time in your own house. You keep it far away from me!”

Sanji kicked at Judge’s shin, forcing him to stumble backward and let go of her.

“I’m not dressing up like a woman,” Sanji said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I am a woman.”

“What?” Judge squared up at Sanji, trying to intimidate her with his height. “You’re not a woman!”

“She’s transgender, Judge,” Sora said calmly. “That means we thought she was a boy, but she’s a girl. I have some information if-“

“ _Je commence à en avoir marre de vos conneries!”_ Judge slapped Sanji across the face. She let him do it, not wanting to scare her mother by fighting back. “Go upstairs and get changed. You’re not a woman, you’re a man and I’m not going to listen to your insane delusions.”

Sanji stood up, her legs shaking with anger.

“You can keep telling yourself that, but it’s not going to change anything.” She reached into her handbag, pulling out her passport. She opened it up, her finger pressed next to the clear ‘F’ marker. “The rest of the world sees me as a woman. I don’t give a shit what you think of me!”

Judge smacked the document from her hand, sending it flying.

“So, what are you?” He shouted at her, spittle flying from his teeth. “Some kind of lesbian?”

Sanji paused.

“No,” She said simply. “I’m bisexual. I have a boyfriend.”

Judge’s face turned a horrifying shade of purple.

“You remember, dear?” Sora said, trying to stay collected despite her shaking. “That lovely boy Zoro from our anniversary.”

“What?” Judge screamed. “You’re… seeing that punk! That filthy, chink-“

Sanji kicked out, her leg connecting with Judge’s neck. He flew backwards, far further than Sanji had done with his slap, his large body hitting the wall, shaking the room. Judge fell to the floor, ornaments smashing as they came down with him.

“You _do not_ talk about my Zoro that way!” Sanji yelled back.

Judge groaned in pain, not looking up from the floor.

“Get out,” He mumbled. “Get your prissy, faggot ass out of my house and don’t you dare come back!”

“Fine by me.” Sanji grabbed her passport from the floor, gathering up her jacket and purse.

“Sanji, please.”

Sanji interrupted her mother with a tender kiss on her forehead.

“It’s alright, Maman.” She looked at Judge, her heart fluttering with worry for Sora. “Do you want to come with me?”

Sora looked at Sanji, her tired eyes shining. Sanji felt guilt rack through her, seeing her mother was considering it.

“No…” She whispered. “It’s alright. You go.” Sanji sighed but knew she couldn’t force her mother to come.

“Alright. I’ll call you tonight.” She leaned in to whisper in Sora’s ear. “Get to your room. You call me if he comes to bother you. Zoro and I will both come.”

Sora squeezed Sanji’s hand tight, letting her know she understood.

Since then, Sanji had been doing anything she could to occupy her mind. Luckily, her job was always fast-paced, the kitchen filled with screams and orders. If she wasn't at work, Sanji would take herself to the dojo to train until she couldn't move. Anytime she found herself at home, she would throw herself into a cleaning frenzy. Or rely on Zoro for sparring, fighting or fucking. Now, Zoro at the gym and the apartment sparkling clean, Sanji had moved into a cooking frenzy.

Sanji pressed down, putting all her strength into squeezing the sushi mat together. She jumped a little when her cooking playlist was interrupted by her ringtone, echoing in her kitchen.

She closed her eyes when she saw the caller ID, pulling the phone from the speaker and lighting the cigarette already between her lips. She did not need this today, but she knew ignoring the call would make her look weak.

“What do you want, Ichiji?” Sanji snarled into the phone.

“Hey, good to speak to you too, Three!” Her brother said sarcastically.

“What do you want?” Sanji asked again, not wanting to deal with his shit any longer than she had to.

Ichiji sighed awkwardly into the phone.

“So… We saw Papa today.”

“Uh-huh.” Sanji took a long drag from her cigarette, feeling a familiar sickness in her stomach. She’d been expecting this. “Look, I don’t want to hear whatever shit you-“

“Would you shut up and listen, you dumb-ass!” Ichiji shouted back. He coughed nervously. Murmurs came from over his shoulder. “Look, I’m sort of calling on behalf of the rest of us. Niji and Yonji are here too.”

“Okay,” Sanji said, checking the duck in the oven. “Whatever shit the three of you have to say, get it over with, I’m busy.”

There was another pause. Sanji would have thought her brother had rung off, but she could still hear his steady breathing on the other line.

“Look, what Papa was saying about you,” Ichiji mumbled. “It’s not cool.”

Sanji replayed her brother’s words over in her head, unable to make sense of them. This had to be a trap right? Were they trying to trick her into admitting the truth before they came over to beat the shit out of her?

“Okay,” Sanji said eventually. “What did he say?”

“A bunch of stuff,” Ichiji mumbled back. “He told us about what happened the other day when you came over to the house.”

“Okay,” Sanji said again. This whole conversation was so unbelievably surreal, so couldn’t think of anything else to say. Part of her was telling her to hang up, that Judge probably told them a really twisted version of what happened, portraying her as a crazy, weak dumbass. But there was a softness to her brother’s voice. Something she had never thought him capable of. It made her want to hear him out, even if she might regret it later.

“Yeah, look we know we haven’t been the best brothers.”

“Understatement of the fucking century.”

“Would you shut up?” Ichiji whined. “I’m trying to apologize here?”

With that, Sanji almost dropped the phone. Ichiji knew how to apologize? Perhaps it would be worth staying on the line for the sake of science.

“Alright fine,” Sanji said defeated. “I’ll listen.”

“Good!” Ichiji took another deep breath. “Look, what Papa said isn’t cool. Reiju explained all this shit to us after we saw him. We didn’t realize it before, but the way he talks about you… Even before… Well, he shouldn’t have treated you like that. We’re sorry- for everything.”

 _Everything._ Images flashed in her mind. Yonji holding her down while Niji and Ichiji punched her repeatedly. Being locked in dark cupboards, the large oven in their family kitchen, and on more than one occasion the walk-in fridge. Walking into her room to find it completely trashed, her recipe books torn to shreds. Waking up in the morning to find one of her brothers standing above her, ready to drop a huge spider in her mouth. Being called a failure, a fuck-up, and a useless weak piece of shit.

Ichiji was sorry for that? Her brothers were sorry for all of that? And all it had taken for them to realize that was hearing Judge say whatever bullshit he’d said about her this time? Or perhaps it was Reiju sticking up for her. Sanji knew it was best if she never knew what had been said. Even if the result was something positive.

“Thanks…” Sanji muttered, her cigarette shaking between her lips.

“Good,” Ichiji stated simply. “And just so you know, if you want to be a chick, we’re cool with that.”

“I don’t…” Sanji stopped herself, rubbing her temple. She would have to pick her battles here. Especially since her brother’s had shown more growth in the last twenty seconds than they had done in the last twenty years. “Thanks. That’s good to know.”

“Good,” Ichiji said again. “So, we’re… We’re cool?”

Sanji mulled things over in her brain. Her brothers had had to put up with Judge’s shit too. His high expectations and strict rules. Judge hadn’t been a good father or a good example to any of them. She imagined an authority in her life, such as Zeff, telling her someone was stupid, weak, and deserved to be tortured. As an impressionable child, would she have believed him? It was hard to forget all her brothers had done to her, but she wanted to be reasonable about this and let them try.

“We will be,” Sanji said eventually, feeling herself calming down.

“Good.” Ichiji coughed into the receiver. Sanji heard Niji mumbling something in the background, but she couldn’t pick it up. “Niji wants to know if you’re going to his engagement party at the weekend.”

“Um, well I wasn’t invited so-“

“Well, you are now you shit-face!” Niji shouted, grabbing the phone from Ichiji. Sanji rolled her eyes. Old habits died hard she supposed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but you have to come now. Maman wants you to. I want you to!”

Sanji paused before checking the calendar on the wall. She supposed she could swap shifts with someone at The Baratie and apologize to the girls for missing their standing lunch date. If it was just this once.

“Well… Alright. If it’s for Maman, I’ll stop by for a couple of hours.”

“Good. Bring your boyfriend!”

“My what?” Sanji said startled.

“You heard me,” Niji said excitedly. “That cool big asian guy with the green hair. We want to meet him properly.”

“I’ll have to ask him.” Sanji smirked to herself. Did Niji really just call Zoro ‘Cool?’ The dorkiest swordsman who ever lived? “But I will if he can make it.”

“Great! So, we’ll see you on Saturday.”

“See you then.”

Niji rang off. Sanji put her phone down on the counter, stubbing her cigarette butt out in her overflowing ashtray. She waited two seconds before lighting up another.

*****

The smell of various dishes and spices hit Zoro in the face as he walked through the door. He looked across the kitchen and dining table, seeing the wide variety of foods.

“Fuck!” He said, stunned. “What’s the occasion?”

“Fuck you, that's what!” Sanji called, stepping out of the bedroom, her black fluffy bathrobe wrapped around her. “Eat whatever. Chopper and Luffy are coming round in an hour so you better get started before then.”

Zoro laughed, crossing the room to kiss his girlfriend. She kissed back, but he could feel the stiffness in her body.

“What’s up, babe?”

Sanji blushed.

“What are you doing on Saturday?”

“Um-“

“Okay, this is what you’re doing. You’re coming with me to my brother’s party.”

Zoro blinked at her.

“Really?”

“Yeah, he called today.” Sanji looked around frantically for her cigarettes. “He invited us both. It’s an engagement thing, Mom put it together. Call Franky and see if you can borrow a suit.”

“Doubt he has too many himself,” Zoro mumbled, sitting down at the table, pilling his plate high. “So, do they know about… Everything?”

“Yes, they do. They probably don’t have a great understanding, but Reiju talked to them and I trust her.” After finding her cigarettes, Sanji reached into the cupboard for her wine, grabbing a bottle of whiskey alongside it. “We’ll stop by for a few hours, show our faces and get out of there, like at the anniversary party.”

Zoro took the offered glass of whiskey, swallowing a large mouthful.

“Alright,” He said casually. “If you think you’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.” Sanji sat opposite him, swirling her wine in its glass, letting it breathe. “At least this time I don’t have to pretend to be a guy, you know?”

“Yeah.” Zoro reached over, squeezing her thigh.

“Plus, there’ll probably be free drink.”

“Always helps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've said before- I have no idea what Caroline or Ivan's canon pronouns are. Apologies if I made a mistake.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

_Sanji stared up at the starry sky. It was over. It was done._

_Her friends had been overwhelmingly supportive following her announcement. Luffy had asked what it meant over and over again, taking a while to get it. But in the end, he’d grabbed her in a squeezy hug and called her his sister. Before promptly asking when dinner would be ready. Nami had told her how pretty she looked, standing by for a hug the moment Luffy was done, Vivi in line behind her. Franky had said he was super happy for her, calling her “Cook-Sis.” Brook had asked if she was wearing panties- but she’d expected that. And he had followed the request by reassuring her that he had met many wonderful Trans and gender non-conforming people over the decades during his music tours. Usopp had looked very uncomfortable but had told her that it was okay. She suspected he needed to get used to the idea. Chopper had asked about her treatment, making sure she was staying healthy before explaining the terminology again to Usopp. Jinbei had grinned at her, offering his congratulations, his arm around Carrot as she cheered and clapped excitedly. Robin had asked if she wanted to go shopping together, to which Sanji had agreed enthusiastically._

_She’d stayed back at the end, Franky waiting for her outside the door so she could have a moment alone with Sanji. She’d kissed her cheek, telling Sanji that she was so proud of her and that she could always come to her if she wanted to talk about anything._

_Zoro had smiled at her but hadn’t said much, sitting quietly on the sofa throughout the evening, swallowing liquor down like it was water._

_He was currently in the kitchen washing the dishes while Sanji took a moment to herself. Relief spread through her body, warmth pumping with it. It was done, she could start being herself around her friends. She still had her family._

_Sanji gripped the balcony railing as she heard the door behind her slide open. She didn’t want to look at Zoro. She would miss him so terribly, but at least they could still be friends._

_“Hey, baby.” Zoro stepped out, resting a hand on her shoulder, not sure if he should touch her more than that. “Can we talk about… Tonight?”_

_Sanji shut her eyes. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye, but she knew she never would be._

_“Sure.” Sanji took a final drag on her cigarette, before stubbing it out. She turned around, forcing herself to look into his eyes. Zoro was staring at her, his mouth moving, but no sounds coming out. Sanji decided to take pity on him._

_“I can sleep on the sofa tonight,” She said quickly. “I’ll call Robin tomorrow and see if I can stay with her and Franky until we can sort something out. I can keep paying half the rent here.”_

_“What…?”_

_“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” Sanji continued. “I’ll make this as easy for you as I can.”_

_Zoro’s lip trembled. He looked at her like he’d just been punched in the stomach and the balls at the same time._

_“You never said… You didn’t say you were leaving me.”_

_Sanji’s heart skipped a beat. She could see a tear forming in the corner of Zoro’s dark eye. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen him cry. She reached for another cigarette. Her hands were shaking so much it took over a minute to light up._

_“I just assumed…” She blew smoke into the night. “You’re gay, Zoro.”_

_Zoro scoffed._

_“Says who?”_

_“You…”_

_Zoro sighed, rubbing the back of his green head._

_“Well… Maybe I am. Maybe I was. But that’s not for you to decide. Maybe… Well shit, Cook! When we met you thought you were a straight guy. Now it seems you’re neither of those things.” He reached over, taking Sanji’s hand in his, holding it tight. Sanji knew that look in his eye. The one he got when he was struggling to find the right words to say. “This is pretty big; I can’t deny that. I’m surprised. But more than that I’m pretty angry with myself! I know you’ve been going through a lot of shit lately. You’ve been working really hard on yourself; it’s so fucking admirable. I’m really happy that you’ve gotten to a point where you can accept this side of you.”_

_Sanji smiled weakly at him._

_“Thank you, Zoro.”_

_“Yeah well, it’s true. I get that this must be really exhausting for you.” He turned his head, unable to look at her. “I feel like I should have figured this out.”_

_“How could you have?” Sanji entwined her fingers with his. “I didn’t know for a long time. If you’d asked me about it, I probably would have denied it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”_

_“It’s fine,” Zoro said honestly. “We all know now.”_

_There was another silence, the sound of the city below echoing around them._

_“Please don’t leave me.”_

_Sanji swallowed at Zoro’s words. He suddenly turned, pulling her close._

_“I love you, babe. Man or woman, I still love you. I want to be with you.”_

_Sanji felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She’d never felt this relieved in her entire life. She wrapped her arms around Zoro, caressing the back of his neck. She ran her finger over the three earrings that hung from his left ear, hearing them chime together. Zoro felt so warm, so safe. As he always did and always would._

_“I want that too,” Sanji said, her voice dry. “I love you too.” Zoro nuzzled into her, taking in her beautiful scent. Stale cigarettes, spices, and her flowery perfume. It was his favourite smell in the world._

_“Could you… Explain it to me again?” Zoro asked eventually. “I want to know about this. Everything about this.” He felt Sanji smile against him._

_“Of course, Marimo.” She finished her cigarette, pulling him back inside. “I’ve got some material. Let’s go through it together.”_

*****

Sanji stepped off the train, her black high heels connecting with the concrete ground. She straightened herself up, relaxing her shoulders. She was wearing her favourite suit. It was Hugo Boss, soft, black and fitted, pulling in at her curves, the tight trousers showing off all of her long shapely legs. Her blouse was also black, pulling comfortably over her breasts and flat stomach. The suit jacket did the same, fitting perfectly around her shoulders and waist, making her feel confident and beautiful. She ran her hands down her sides, giftbag hanging on her wrist, comforting herself with the feel of her curves, before gently brushing down over her breasts.

Sanji had been disappointed that they hadn’t gotten much bigger, even if she was thrilled with their shape and appearance. She’d considered putting some money away for breast enhancement but had bigger things going on in her life right now. She had gone with her usual make-up. One layer of foundation, smoky, thick eyeliner, and pale, natural lipstick. She didn’t look any different from the Sous-Chef at The Baratie; the kickboxing and taekwondo champion. Zoro’s girlfriend. Sanji felt a large hand slip into hers.

“Babe?” He whispered, running a hand down her back. “You okay?”

“No,” Sanji admitted, taking a deep breath. “But let’s get this over with all the same, yeah?”

Zoro nodded. He wasn’t looking forward to going to another snobbish party with Sanji’s family, but at least this time he didn’t have to pretend to be her ‘roommate.’ He was also optimistic that this time he wouldn’t feel underdressed- even if Franky’s suit jacket was pulling at him uncomfortably, not fitting quite right. He reached up, preparing to loosen the forest green tie Sanji had lent him.

“Don’t!” Sanji ordered. “We just got it right. Just bear with it!” Zoro grumbled something under his breath but stopped himself.

Sanji had never been to Niji’s house before, but followed the directions on her phone- making sure to keep a tight grip on Zoro’s hand. They turned a corner, spotting it easily at the end of the road.

It was a basic townhouse, but very large. Presumably paid for by Judge. The house was painted a pale blue colour. Several cars parked along the huge driveway, surrounding a large blue water feature. Sanji sighed in relief, seeing the bright pink convertible parked near the door. This would be easier with Reiju already here.

Sanji rang the doorbell, feeling her hand growing sweaty in Zoro’s.

“Calm down,” Zoro whispered. “If anything happens, we’ll just leave. Right?”

“Yeah,” Sanji said, her voice shaking. “I know. It’s just-“

The door opened. A young woman stood in front of them, dressed in a formal blue cocktail dress, her black hair in curls. Sanji tensed. She hadn’t expected Niji’s fiancée to answer the door. She’d been expecting a housekeeper or robot butler or something.

“Um… Hi Luna,” Sanji said nervously. She’d met her last Christmas and had seen her at the garden party but had never had a full conversation with her future sister-in-law.

To her surprise, Luna reached out, giving her a one-armed hug and a kiss on her cheek.

“Sanji, good to see you,” She said in a sing-song voice. “So glad you could make it. And you’re Zoro right?”

“Yeah,” He said, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Luna shook his hand, standing back to let the couple into her house. She led them down the corridor to a large living room, almost twice the size of Zoro and Sanji’s apartment.

“Everyone.” The party-goers stopped, turning to the arched doorway to look at their host. Zoro looked around. There were about thirty or so people, none of whom he recognized. Except of course for Sanji’s family. He noticed the death-glare Judge was giving him from where he stood next to his wife. “This is Niji’s sister Sanji and her boyfriend Zoro.”

Sanji let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. None of the strangers, presumably family from Luna’s side and her or Niji’s own friends, batted an eyelid at the word ‘sister.’ Sanji heard Judge scoff in the corner, but Reiju stepped in front of him.

“Sanji!” She threw her arms around her sister, pulling her in close. “I’m so happy you’re here!” Sanji hugged Reiju back, relief spreading through her at the familiar embrace.

“You too!” Sanji said. “You look good.”

“So do you.” Reiju sighed at Sanji, running her fingers through her hair as she had done in the summer house. She was still so relieved that her sister was okay and healthy.

“Hey, um, Three?”

Sanji turned to see Niji standing behind Reiju.

“Hey,” Sanji said with a smile. “Thanks for inviting us.”

“Yeah, no problem, good to see you guys here.” He looked at Zoro. Zoro stared at him back, his face blank, a protective arm around Sanji's waist.

“Luna!” Someone called from across the room. Luna squeezed Sanji’s arm and retreated, giving the couple a small smile.

Niji looked over his shoulder before leaning in to whisper in Sanji’s ear.

“Don’t worry, she’s cool with everything. Her sister is a lesbian, she knows about queer-shit.”

“Okay…” Sanji said, not sure where he was going with this.

“We didn’t tell her side about… Well since they hadn’t met you before, I didn’t know if I should… Like I just told them earlier that my family was coming but didn’t say you… You used to be…” Niji shuffled awkwardly on his feet. Sanji decided to take pity on her brother.

“It’s okay,” She said shrugging. “It’s good you didn’t tell them. Now go, talk to your people.” Niji sighed in relief.

“We’ll try and keep Papa away from you.” He gave his sister a nod, turning back to the party.

Sanji placed their giftbag on the appropriate table, wrapping an arm around her boyfriend’s waist.

“Let’s talk with Mom,” She said, giving Zoro an empathetic look.

“Cool. Then can I take this tie off?”

“No.”

*****

Sanji handed Zoro his refilled wine glass, sitting back down next to him. She had had conversations with Reiju and her mother, honestly very intrigued by how well Sora and Zoro got on. There was something very comforting in seeing the two people she cared the most about taking an interest in one another, exchanging genuine smiles and words of care.

Now Sora had been summoned to talk with Luna’s mother, even though she was already starting to look tired and weakened from the event. Reiju had shot off to talk with some mutual friends, leaving Zoro and Sanji alone. Zoro sighed, stretching back on the sofa, resting his free hand behind his head.

“One more hour,” Sanji promised. “Then we’ll go home, I’ll make you dinner and get you more to drink. I’ll give you a blow-job afterwards.” Zoro raised an eyebrow at her.

“That a promise?”

Sanji smirked, leaning in to nuzzle at his side.

“You’ve been a very good boy today,” She purred, running her hand over his shoulder. “Getting all dressed up for me. You deserve something nice waiting for you at home.” Zoro grinned, leaning in to kiss his girlfriend. It felt so wonderful to have her close like this- being able to touch her the way he wanted to.

“Excuse me.”

The tender moment was ruined by a quiet but firm voice. Zoro and Sanji turned their heads to see a young woman, around their age, brown hair pulled in two neat bunches.

“Hey.” Sanji sat up. “I didn’t know you were here.”

Zoro eyed the blush forming in Sanji’s cheeks suspiciously.

“Could we… Talk Sanji?” The woman said softly, holding out her hand.

“Sure.” Sanji stood up, taking her hand so the woman could pull her up. Zoro’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll be right back, Mossy.”

“Hang on.” Zoro stopped her, his face turning into a small frown. “Who are you?”

“Oh, do excuse me,” The woman said with a strange giggle. “I’m Pudding. Pudding Charlotte. I’m an old friend of the family’s. You’re Zoro right?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t mind if I borrow your girlfriend for a few moments? I just need to clear something up with her.”

Zoro looked like he minded very much. Sanji leaned in, pressing a kiss to his green head.

“I’ll be quick, okay?”

Zoro waved Sanji off focusing his attention on his drink. He watched Pudding lead her off out of the living room. He closed his eyes, clearing his thoughts to enter a state of mild mediation.

“Yo, Zoro!”

Or maybe not.

Zoro looked up seeing a tall man with curly eyebrows, wearing an expensive-looking burgundy-red suit. One of Sanji’s brothers. Which one he couldn’t remember.

“Yeah?”

The man sat down beside him.

“I’m Ichiji, remember? From the garden party?”

Zoro scowled behind his drink.

“Yeah, I remember.”

Ichiji leaned back, folding his arm over the headrest of the sofa.

“So how long have you been seeing my baby sister?”

The swordsman raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you guys were quadruplets?”

Ichiji scoffed.

“Yes, but I was born first. That makes Sanji my baby sister.”

“Oh yeah?” Zoro said, not wanting to play this game. “So, what, are you checking my ‘intentions’ with her?” He had been kidding, but the other man just folded his arms.

“Yep.” Ichiji straightened himself up. “So, Maman says you’re some kind of martial arts instructor and a personal trainer?”

“Yes,” Zoro replied. “I teach Kendo to under thirteens. During the day I work as a personal trainer at the gym.”

“I see.” Despite trying to look intimidating, Zoro just thought the other guy looked like a freaking idiot, trying to stare down at him like some kind of weird mafia boss. “So how much does that pay?”

“Why are you guys so obsessed with how much people make?”

“Just want to know if you’ll be able to support my sister.”

Zoro glared at him.

“Sanji can take care of herself.”

“A real man should be able to support his girlfriend!”

“A real man should be more secure than that.”

Ichiji stilled at this, his curly eyebrow twitching. Zoro had to look away at that. Not because he was intimidated- but because this douchebag’s ‘I’m going to kill you look’ was a little too similar to his girlfriend’s.

“Hey! You talking to Zoro, One?” A similar-looking man jumped over. He had the same curled eyebrows and thick hair, but he was a little taller and much wider, his suit a very dark green. He held out his hand. “Yonji. Cool hair!”

“Thanks,” Zoro said, shaking his hand.

Yonji’s eyes flicked between Ichiji and Zoro.

“What’s with you guys? You look like you’re going to launch into ‘pistols at dawn?’”

“Perhaps,” Ichiji mumbled. Yonji interrupted before Zoro could respond.

“Are you sure you want to do that, Bro? Zoro looks pretty ripped.” Yonji leaned over, squeezing Zoro’s arm. “How much can you lift?”

“I don’t know,” Zoro said, shrugging him off. “A lot I guess.”

“He’s a personal trainer,” Ichiji said aggressively. Or at least he was trying to seem aggressive. Zoro still thought he looked pathetic. “And he teaches kids… Something.”

“Kendo,” Zoro said. “It’s a form of kenjutsu.”

“You mean like with swords!” Yonji looked at him, wide-eyed.

“We don’t give the kids real swords,” Zoro explained. “But yeah, I fight with swords.”

“That’s awesome!” Yonji shoved a reluctant Ichiji out the way, sitting next to Zoro. “You got pictures?”

Zoro pulled his phone out of his pocket, showing Yonji pictures of him from his tournaments.

“What’s that?” Yonji asked, pausing at a picture of Zoro with all three of his swords. “Why do you have a sword in your mouth?”

“It’s my ‘three sword style’,” Zoro explained. “It’s kind of my thing.”

“Fuck!” Yonji turned to Ichiji. “Sanji’s boyfriend is badass!”

Zoro let himself smile a little at that, continuing to show Yonji photos.

He paused. Looking up from his phone, he realized Sanji wasn’t back yet. Something didn’t feel right.

*****

Sanji followed Pudding upstairs into an empty office room, shutting the door behind her. Sanji tapped her cigarette packet, pulling one out to roll between her lips.

“It’s nice to see you,” Pudding said with a smile, hoping to calm Sanji’s nerves. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.” Sanji sat on the windowsill, opening the window as far as it would go. Leaning out of it before lighting her cigarette. "It has." She heard Pudding giggle behind her.

“You haven’t changed,” Pudding teased. She sat down at the desk chair, turning it so she was facing Sanji. “So… Interesting to learn that I have an ex-girlfriend?”

“Yeah I guess you do,” Sanji mumbled. “Sorry about that.” Pudding laughed again.

“What are you sorry for?” She pulled the chair closed with her feet until her knees were almost touching Sanji’s. “I just wanted you to know its all good. You look really happy. Shit-scared, but happy.”

“Thanks.” She reached over, taking Pudding’s hand. “I hope you’re happy too.” Pudding looked down but kept her smile.

“Well… I am happy. I love my job.”

“Still working at your Mom’s factory?”

“Oh yes! It’s a lot of fun.” Pudding gave Sanji's hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, Mom's not here. I want to say… I owe a lot to you. I wouldn’t have stood up for myself and persued baking if you hadn’t encouraged me. Our relationship meant a lot to me, still does now. Even more so knowing we were lesbians!”

Sanji rolled her eyes but laughed with Pudding.

“Good to know.” Sanji took a deep drag of her cigarette. “It meant a lot to me too. I’ll never forget it. You were a big part of making me who I am.”

“I know.” Pudding leaned in, kissing Sanji on the cheek. “You should know that I’m… Also, bisexual.”

“Oh, really?” Sanji couldn’t help but look a little surprised.

“I haven’t had a girlfriend yet,” Pudding explained. “Apart from you of course. I don’t have a boyfriend either but… Well, it’s nice to talk about this sort of thing.”

Sanji took another drag before holding her cigarette out of the window so she could lean in and hug Pudding.

“If you ever need to talk about it or anything else you have my number. Okay?”

“Okay.” Pudding hugged her back, gently petting Sanji’s soft hair.

She stood up suddenly, straightening her dress.

“Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your boyfriend,” She said, composing herself. “Come say goodbye before you leave, okay?” Sanji nodded.

“Of course. Take care, Pudding.”

“You too.”

With that pudding left, closing the door behind her. Sanji looked out across the neighbourhood, taking in the polished and primed look. She sat by herself for a few moments, smoking two more cigarettes, crushing the butts on the outside sill before slipping them into her jacket pocket. Wiping the ash off the sill with her handkerchief, she stood up, leaving the window open. She headed towards the stairs, before noticing a small bathroom across the hall. When she opened the bathroom door a second time, she saw she was no longer alone. Sanji jumped back at the large man standing right outside. Her eyes locked on the last person she wanted to see.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Judge hissed at her, arms folded across his chest.

“Well, I was peeing. Now I’m going to get another drink and sit with my boyfriend.” She moved to step past him. “So, if you’ll excuse me.”

Judge grabbed at her arm before she could move, shoving her into a bedroom.

“How dare you turn up here looking like… Like that!” Judge spat at her. “What if Mrs. Charlotte had come? Or any of our friends. They would have seen… This!”

“So, what if they had?” Sanji snapped back at him. “I told you before, this isn’t changing. No matter what you think of it.”

“It doesn’t matter what your papers say,” Judge said scowling. “You’re still a man!”

“Oh yeah?” Sanji laughed, not letting him scare her. “Why do you get to decide that?”

Judge paused. He lowered his hands to his side, fists clenched.

“What have you done to yourself?”

Sanji felt a chill of terror pumping through her. Memories flashed in her mind of seeing that look in Judge’s eyes, her stomach churning when she remembered the things that had followed. She stepped forward, intending to walk past, but he grabbed her arm again, shoving her back. Sanji immediately kicked at him, but he blocked her attack with his forearm, forcing it against her chest before she could run away.

“Get off of me!” Sanji shouted, struggling in her attacker's arms.

Judge closed his arms around her upper body, trapping her. Sanji kicked again, trying to get him to fall backward, but Judge stood in front of her like an iron wall, barely flinching. He grabbed her by her throat, shoving her hard against the wall next to the bed. He kicked the end table against her, trying to trap her powerful legs.

“You’re still a boy,” Judge growled, spit flying over Sanji’s face.

A large hand reached down between her legs. Sanji paled as Judge groped at her crotch.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” She moved desperately, trying her best to free her legs. If she could get one good kick in, she could free herself and run back to Zoro. She’d grab him and tell him they had to leave.

But Judge raised his feet, stamping his large boots down on her toes. He grabbed more firmly at Sanji’s crotch, feeling her tuck through her tight trousers. He scoffed at her, smiling smugly. Judge pulled at her belt, snapping the leather open, before ripping at her button-up zipper. The tiny black buttons flying across the room.

“See,” He said triumphantly. He reached his large hand inside her underwear, pulling on her genitals. “You’re still a boy.”

“Get off!” Sanji screamed again. Judge continued to pull, ripping her black lace underwear open, pulling roughly on her genitals until they were outside her trousers. She looked away, tears streaming down her face.

“You’re still a boy!" Judge grabbed Sanji’s face, trying to force her to look downwards. “You’ve always been a disappointment, but I didn’t think you’d turn into such a deluded freak! Look at it and admit you’re a boy. Then take off that ridiculous stuffed bra!”

Sanji took deep breaths, her eyes closed tight. Her limbs trembled. She wanted to fight back, but panic was rising in her, not letting her body move. Despite the fear that paralyzed her, she wasn’t going to take this. Not from Judge, not from anyone.

“It’s not stuffed,” She panted out. “My breasts are all real. So, get _your_ deluded head out of your ass and let me the fuck go!”

Judge blinked at her. His angry face returned, tightening his grip on her hair. He ripped at Sanji’s blouse, tearing it open like he had done her trousers. Sanji tried to push back, but Judge twisted her arm, his strength powered by fury. Sanji felt the pull and stopped herself. She wanted Judge off her but couldn't bring herself to use her hands. He grabbed at her bra, the garment pinching Sanji’s skin painfully before he ripped it off and threw it to the side.

Sanji’s thin gel enhancers fell out, slapping on to the floor next to her ruined bra. Her breasts were now fully exposed, resting against her chest, moving up and down with Sanji’s panicked breaths. Judge’s face went pale.

“What did you do?” He screamed. Sanji felt herself go dizzy, panic overwhelming her, making it hard to see.

The door to the bedroom burst open, a flash of green entering the corner of Sanji’s eyes. Judge was pulled off of her, Sanji’s legs giving out without him holding her up. There was a crash, the sound of punches hitting teeth and skin.

“Sanji.”

Sanji felt warmth fill her chest, panic slowly leaving her at her boyfriend’s voice.

“Zoro,” She whimpered, reaching out to grab him.

“It’s alright,” He said quickly. Zoro pulled off his suit jacket, laying it over Sanji’s exposed crotch. “I’m here babe. You’re okay.” Zoro pulled Sanji’s head against him, rocking her gently.

“What the fuck is going on?”

Sanji looked up to see a hoard of guests standing in the doorway, led by Ichiji, Reiju and Luna. Niji, Yonji and Pudding stood behind them. People she didn’t recognize tried to poke their heads in the room, gasping and muttering when they saw Judge, sprawled against the broken wardrobe, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

“Call the police!” Judge ordered. “This punk attacked me!”

“Oh yeah,” Zoro shouted back. “Fucking call them, please! I bet they’d love to hear all about you sexually assaulting your daughter!”

The multiple pairs of eyes crossed the room. They saw Sanji’s broken bra in the middle of the floor, the lace from her underwear beside her, and how the woman was holding her blouse closed as she pressed against her boyfriend. Even Judge had to admit this didn’t look good for him.

“I was just…” Judge tried to pull himself up, but more blood leaked from his face. “I was showing that _freak-“_

“You need to leave.”

Sanji blinked, expecting to see Yonji talking to her. Instead, his eyes were fixed on Judge.

“Don’t speak to me like that, boy,” Judge scoffed back at him. “I’m your father!”

“You need to leave _now,”_ Yonji insisted, gently nudging guests out of the way to clear a path.

Judge stared at the guests. All eyes were looking at him with disbelief, some with disgust.

“Fine,” He mumbled, straightening his tie, ignoring the blood that spilt onto his white shirt. “I was leaving anyway.”

The large man made his way past the guests, all of them stepping away from him like he smelt of sewage.

“Ichiji, go downstairs,” Reiju ordered. “Make sure Mamans safe. Don’t let him take her with him, okay?”

Ichiji nodded, hurrying back down after his father. Reiju ran into the room, kneeling down beside Sanji.

“Are you okay?” She asked, pulling out a pink handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face.

“I’m fine,” Sanji mumbled, despite her body still trembling. She looked down. “My clothes…”

Luna hurried into the room, rummaging through her draws. She pulled out a pair of black sweatpants and a blue, fluffy jumper.

“Here,” Luna said, laying them down gently on the bed. “You can wear this home.” She sat down on the mattress, leaning in closer. “Shall we call the police?”

Sanji shook her head, pressing her face into Zoro’s neck.

“No,” She mumbled. “I think… I just… I don’t want to talk about it.”

Luna nodded. Niji crossed the room, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“You get dressed,” Reiju said, pressing a kiss into her little sister’s forehead. “I’ll drive you guys home.”

She stood back up, gently ushering everyone else out of the room. Reiju closed the door behind her, leaving Zoro and Sanji alone.

Zoro pulled back, brushing Sanji’s bangs aside so he could see both her curled eyebrows.

“Baby,” He whispered. “What happened?” Sanji swallowed, pulling his jacket closer around her.

“I’ll talk about it when we get home,” She said. “Hand me those clothes.”

Zoro grabbed the jumper, helping her pull it over her ruined blouse.

“Why didn’t you want to call the police?” Zoro asked. Sanji could see the deadly look in his eyes. His teeth were grinding as if there were searching for Wado.

“Because… They’d ask about… They’d want to see…” She shuddered, not letting herself say the words. “It wouldn’t help. Judge is too powerful; he’d find a way to get away with it. Besides, you did kind of assault him.”

Zoro snorted.

“So, fucking what!” Zoro pulled her close, almost crushing her against his chest. “I wasn’t going to stand there and let him-.”

“Hey, calm down.” Sanji cupped his face in her hands, kissing him tenderly. “It’s alright. I’m alright. See? I’m fine.”

Zoro nodded, but it didn’t calm the anger that pulsed through him.

“Come on.” Sanji stood up, covering her crotch with her hand as she pushed her dress trousers down. “I’ll get dressed and we can go home.”

Zoro sat back on the bed; fists clenched. Judge had better be gone by the time they went downstairs!


	4. Chapter 4

_There was no other way to put it. Sanji was frustrated. She’d been frustrated for weeks and was officially at the point of having had enough!_

_After she had come out to her friends and Zoro, the couple had sat up together for hours discussing Sanji’s gender dysphoria and the treatment she planned on getting. Zoro still seemed a tad confused at the end, but he had held his girlfriend and told her again that he wasn’t going anywhere. They had agreed to take things one step at a time and let their relationship adjust to the change._

_Only now, Zoro seemed to be fucking afraid of her!_

_They hadn’t had sex since her big announcement. It didn’t make a lot of sense to Sanji. Even if they were taking their relationship back a few steps, she didn’t think it would affect their sex life. They’d had sex before they’d had their first date after all! A crash of filthy kisses and biting, frustration finally giving in, turning the pair into a sweaty mess of limbs, and come! Fists, feet and curse words still flying through the room as clothes were ripped away._

_Sanji shuddered just thinking about it, feeling herself grow aroused._

_Zoro had always loved sex. They usually had sex at least once every few days, with the exception of her mental breakdown and when one of them had been out of town. Now whenever Sanji pressed herself against him, trying to get them in the mood- Zoro seemed to get uncomfortable. He would pull away, kissing her once tenderly, before running off._

_It wasn’t a physical ailment, Sanji was sure of that. Zoro still seemed to be masturbating- disappearing into the bathroom at least once a day with his phone in hand. A bottle of lube he probably thought was hidden in his back pocket. Once or twice she’d heard the familiar grunts and hisses that signaled Zoro’s release._

_So, he was still horny, but he didn’t want to have sex with Sanji._

_Sanji relaxed back on the sofa, inhaling deeply on a cigarette. She suspected what this might be about. Zoro didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Zoro was worried her gender dysphoria meant she didn’t want to be naked or have her nakedness touched._

_It was rather annoying if that was the case, as Sanji never indicated that she didn’t want sex. She loved the sensations, the smells, the closeness. How rough and tender Zoro could get at the same time! She bit her lip, her arousal growing further._

_Fuck it- it was time to take a chance!_

_The moment Zoro texted her saying he was on his way home from the gym, Sanji got herself ready._

_*****_

_Zoro paused, stepping through the bedroom door. It looked like something out of a stupid romantic novel. Scented candles had been lit and placed on the nightstand (something that usually only happened when hot wax was about to be dripped over his chest.) He saw his girlfriend relaxing on the bed, smoking slowly. Completely naked._

_When the door opened, Sanji smirked at him, turning onto her side, revealing her desperate, throbbing arousal._

_“… Curly…” Zoro whispered, his mouth suddenly dry. He felt himself grow almost instantly beneath his sweatpants._

_Sanji sat up, stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray on her side of the bed. She knelt in front of him, shuffling down the bed until she was in front of Zoro, her hands wrapping around his waist._

_“Listen, Marimo,” She said, giving him a quick kiss. “I know this is a big adjustment for you. I really appreciate your support. But please don’t think that I don’t want you like this.”_

_“But-,” Zoro began, but Sanji cut him off._

_“If you’re not comfortable with us having this type of relationship anymore, I’ll understand. We’ll have to have a conversation about whether that means we’ll still be exclusive, but I’ll understand.” She pulled him closer, pressing her body against his. “But please don’t think that I don’t want you. I want you to throw me down on this bed and fuck me like there’s no tomorrow. I want you to throw my legs over my shoulders and tongue fuck my asshole. I want to suck your cock and pull back just in time to feel you come on my face. I want us to carry on doing everything we do, like when you tie me to the bed and tease me until I’m crying. When you pull me over your knee and spank me like a naughty fucking bitch.” Sanji saw the beads of sweat falling down Zoro’s face. His cock was so desperate it was leaking onto his sweats. “Or that thing you like sometimes when I step on your balls and press down until you’re begging for mercy. Then I’ll make you crawl in front of me and kiss my feet, desperate for more.”_

_Zoro was entirely still, his eyes wide at his girlfriend. Sanji took advantage of his stunned state, whipping his tight shirt over his head and shoving his sweats and boxers to the floor. She lowered her head, running her tongue lightly over his cock, snapping him back into reality._

_“I want this, Zoro,” Sanji said, her voice husky with arousal. “If I’m ever uncomfortable with what we’re doing, or my dysphoria gets to a point where I don’t want to be touched, I promise I’ll let you know. But now, I don’t want to give up this side of our relationship. If you’ll still have me.”_

_In a flash, Zoro grabbed her, throwing her down on the bed. He kicked off his trousers, climbing on top of his girlfriend, pinning her down onto the mattress._

_“I’ll always want you,” Zoro growled, worshipping her nipples with his rough tongue._

_“Good,” Sanji hissed. “Now fuck me!”_

_“Yes, ma’am!”_

*****

Sanji laid sprawled out on the sofa, flicking absentmindedly through daytime TV. She’d called in sick to work and was fully prepared to spend the rest of her day in her pyjama shirt and leggings, lying around with a fluffy blanket over her. She was pretty sure Zeff just thought she was hungover when she called, but he gave her the sick day. If needed she’d explain things as best she could tomorrow.

Zoro had wanted to stay home too, but Sanji hadn’t let him, insisting he go to work and take his anger out on his kids. She needed to cool off anyway and thought it would be easier to do without Zoro buzzing around her. She needed space right now.

A knock on the door made Sanji scream in frustration.

“If you forgot your keys again Marimo I’m not letting you in!”

There was a pause before the visitor knocked again.

“Shit.” Sanji kicked the blanket off of herself, pulling down her long shirt.

Sanji made her way across the room, throwing the door open. She gaped when she saw her sister standing on the other side, bright pink hair neatly combed.

“Reiju!” Sanji said, quickly looking down at herself. On top of her casual sleeping attire, she wasn’t wearing a bra and hadn’t straightened her hair or tucked. She hadn’t been expecting company, but she supposed she should have figured Reiju would come by to make sure she was okay.

“Sorry for just stopping by like this,” Reiju said, edging her way through the door. Sanji stood to one side, letting her come in. “I thought of calling, but I didn’t think you’d answer, and I wanted to see you.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Sanji admitted. She shut the front door as Reiju wandered into the kitchen, putting the kettle on like it was her own house.

“Are you alright?” Reiju asked, rummaging in the cupboards for teabags.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Sanji said honestly, sitting at the island opposite her sister.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Sanji rubbed her temple. She’d had enough of this when she explained all to Zoro.

“What happened?” Reiju said softly, reaching out for Sanji’s hand. Her younger sister sighed heavily, before retrieving her cigarettes and ashtray from the coffee table.

“He wasn’t trying to… You know… Rape me or anything,” Sanji mumbled.

“Okay, but what was he doing?” Reiju asked sternly, placing a mug in front of Sanji.

“Thanks.” She sighed, staring at the warm liquid intensely. “He wanted me to see that I was… That I wasn’t a woman.”

Reiju made a disgusted strangling noise, her hands clapping over her mouth.

“So, he decided to strip you?” Reiju said cringing.

“Yeah, I guess.” Sanji took another deep drag, her blue eyes filled with rage. “I… I should have been able to fight him off. I tried, but I couldn’t seem to… I guess it was the panic or something. But I really thought I was stronger than that!”

Reiju squeezed her sister’s hand.

“You are strong Sanji,” She insisted. “This doesn’t change that. Maybe it’s because he hurt you so much as a kid. Maybe you felt that way again when he attacked you. But you shouldn’t bully yourself over not being able to stop it.”

“I know that really,” She said, taking a sip of her tea. “But it’s so stupid that after all the training and tournaments, I couldn’t even push that shitty scumhead off me.”

“Don’t think of it like that,” Reiju insisted. “I’m just glad Zoro stepped in.”

Despite herself, Sanji smiled.

“That wasn’t negotiable,” She said. “I knew he’d come. If I couldn’t get him off, I knew Zoro would. He probably would have been there sooner, but it was a big house, he just got lost on his way to the room.”

Reiju giggled.

“You two are so cute together.”

“I know.”

They sat in silence for a little while, sipping on their tea.

“You need to call Maman,” Reiju said eventually. An odd expression crossed her face, relief twinned with concern. “She’s really worried. She needs to know what happened.”

Sanji nodded, having trouble reading her sister. Reiju bit her lip, raising her blue eyes to look at Sanji’s own.

“She left him.”

“Excuse me?”

Reiju gave her sister a small smile.

“She’s staying with me,” She said. “I had to swap bedrooms, there wasn’t enough space in the guest room for all her medical stuff. But she’s okay. She’s been asleep all day, recovering a lot from yesterday.”

“But…” Sanji paused, rolling the information over in her brain. “But, what about… How will she-“

“The boys are currently ransacking the house,” Reiju explained. “Ichiji is out to lunch with Papa. He’s listening to him rant, pretending he’s on his side. But Niji and Yonji are getting all of Maman’s jewellery and shit from the house.”

Sanji inhaled deeply on her cigarette, blowing smoke out in a long, misty trail. She broke out into a huge grin.

“That’s fucking amazing!”

“Yeah,” Reiju said, her own smile breaking out into one like her sister’s. “She’ll be fine. We’ll make it work.”

“Of course, we will.” Sanji felt tears of joy pricking her eyes. “But what about you guys? Won’t you have to give up your fancy houses and cars and shit?”

Reiju just looked at Sanji smugly.

“Nope, they were all ‘gifts’, legally they belong to us.”

“You shits!” Sanji grinned wildly at her. “What about your jobs?”

“Oh, please. The legal department at Germa would fall apart without me,” Reiju continued. “Besides, you think I couldn’t get another job at another firm? Or start my own.”

“You can do anything you want.” Sanji raised Reiju’s hand to her lips, kissing it softly. “Any of you can.”

“We know that.” Reiju looked around, focusing on a picture on the wall. It was Sanji in her chef's uniform, standing in The Baratie kitchen, Zoro’s arms wrapped around her. “Think you can handle not being the only one who ran off to follow your dreams?”

Sanji followed Reiju’s gaze, staring at the photo.

“I think I can handle that.”

There was a slow pause. Sanji breathing her smoke, while Reiju stirred her tea. 

”Can I ask you something?”

Sanji looked up from her tea, Reiju watching her with a light smile.

“I suppose so.” Sanji felt her heart tremble slightly, a little worried about what the question might be. Thinking it could be anything from her work to her history with Judge.

“Did you, like…” Reiju leaned in, resting her face against her palm. “Always know.”

Sanji paused, her cigarette between her lips. There was a familiar fluttering in her stomach at the question, immediately catching on to what Reiju meant. Sanji cleared her throat, the cigarette smoke escaping from her mouth before it had a chance to enter her lungs. She swallowed, taking another long drag.

“Well… No,” Sanji admitted.

“Then when did you know?”

Sanji shrugged awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.

“There was always… Something wrong. I just didn’t know what it was. It was just something I didn’t understand. But then… Well, I was going through a hard time and Zoro made me go to therapy.”

“Good.” Reiju nodded at her, sipping on her tea. “Did therapy help you figure things out?”

“Yeah,” Sanji said, chucking when she thought about her first meeting with Caroline. “It took a few months for me to admit to it, but I’m pretty sure my therapist knew the moment I walked through the door. I might as well have had a huge sign above my head flashing ‘Secret Woman!’”

Reiju laughed, more to lighten the mood out of amusement.

“Was there any revelation that brought you to where you needed to be?”

“Not one thing no.” Sanji tapped the ash off the end of her cigarette, looking again at the photo of her and Zoro. “We talked about my feelings towards women. How I used to be completely obsessed with them, seeing them as these gorgeous, flawless ethereal beings rather than actual people.”

“Yeah.” Reiju stuck her tongue tip out at her sister. “You were kind of a jerk!”

Sanji shrugged her shoulders defeatedly.

“Yeah. I know.” She stalled for another moment. She understood why Reiju was curious, but it was hard to bring up all those dark feelings of confusion and denial. “I also used to have these dreams where I would have a woman’s body. Sometimes I would even dream I was Nami! With her fucking perfect body and perfect boobs!”

Sanji shut her eyes, shaking her head as she blushed slightly. She loved Zoro with all her heart. She had made peace with who she was. But Nami was so unbelievably beautiful she’d always have at least a little bit of a crush on her.

“It got harder to wake up from those dreams,” Sanji continued. “When I woke up, I’d feel more broken. More like… My body was broken, and I’d lost something I’d really needed. When I explained all this to Caroline, she started peeling away the layers. She never told me I was Trans, but she explained to me what gender dysphoria was and asked me to… Think about.”

“And she was right?” Reiju knew the question was redundant, but she wanted to let Sanji know she was still listening.

“It really started to make sense,” Sanji admitted, smiling a little around her cigarette. “Why I acted like every woman I met was my everything. Why I was obsessed with the female body. Why I was so afraid to be open about my feelings towards men. Why I wanted Nami’s body. There was this shield in front of me that refused to acknowledge there was anything remotely feminine about me, let alone being… Actually female.”

Reiju nodded, reaching to squeeze her sister’s hand again. The fear inside her was bubbling up. She had to say what she had been working up the courage to say.

“Sanji,” She said softly. “I’m really sorry for everything.”

“Huh?”

Reiju closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly.

“I’m really sorry for all the times I… Didn’t support you.”

She rested her head in her palm. She remembered all the times she’d stood by and watched while her brother’s tormented her sister. The times she’d walked into her room to find her sister trying on her clothes, sometimes nothing more than a pink shirt, only to screech at her. When Sanji had been crying and she’d told her to stop because ‘you’re a boy.’ Reiju couldn’t bring herself to voice her failures as a sister. She was too much of a coward. She hoped her apologies would be enough.

“Hey.”

Reiju looked up, her younger but taller sister leaning over the counter, holding her cigarette out the way as she placed a tender kiss on her pink hair.

“If I can try and forgive our brothers for all their shitty assholery," Sanji said with a smile. “Then I can definitely forgive you for the few times you weren’t so great.”

Rejiu sighed in relief, reaching to brush Sanji’s hair out of her eyes.

“Thank you.”

Sanji just shrugged, taking a final drag of her cigarette before stubbing it out.

“Besides, I wasn’t always the best little sister,” She admitted. “I even took your bubble-gum lip-balm!”

Reiju slammed her palm down on the counter.

“I fucking knew that was you!” She yelled, even if she couldn’t stop the grin on her face. Her younger sister just shrugged again, giving her a ridiculous shit-eating grin.

*****

Zoro laid on the sofa staring at the ceiling, his empty beer bottle beside him. He wanted to get another, but that meant getting up. Sanji sat at the dining table on the other side of the room, glasses on her nose, sewing a rip in Zoro's haramaki. She'd sewn new buttons onto her Hugo Boss trousers, the pants now neatly folded on the table. 

"Hey, babe?" Zoro broke the silence, thoughts rolling in his brain.

"Hum?"

"You ever thought of changing your name?"

"No, I'm happy being 'Sanji.'"

"Not that. I meant your surname." 

Sanji looked up from her sewing. 

"How do you mean?"

"You don't like using the surname 'Vinsmoke,'" Zoro explained. "And Judge isn't your family anymore. You could change your surname, choose a new one." 

"Oh." Sanji resumed her work. "Nah, I'm good. I thought about it before, not going to lie. But nowadays I don't see the point." Zoro nodded, staring back up at the ceiling.

"I just figured I'd take your name when we get married."

"What?!" Zoro sat up. "What did you say?"

Sanji didn't react, finishing her stitch and tying it up. 

"I'll just take your name," She said again.

"You think about that kind of thing?" Zoro asked, looking at Sanji like her eyebrows had finally spun off her face and were currently cartwheeling above her head. 

"Sometimes." Sanji reached for some broken socks. "Don't get the wrong idea though- I'm not going to turn into some obedient housewife, making you pies in a frilly apron just because I use your surname. And if anyone calls me 'Mrs. Zoro' I kick their teeth in." Zoro smirked.

"You already have a frilly apron, Shit-Cook."

"It’s not 'frilly!' There is a difference between pink and frilly, Moron!" 

Zoro looked at Sanji's beautiful face. He loved her so much. Her beautiful eyes, her sharp tongue, her determination. Her ability to get knocked down and stand back up again no matter what. He even loved her stupid curly eyebrows!

"So..." He swallowed. "Would you marry me?"

Sanji grabbed at her glasses, fire in her eyes.

"Oh fuck no!" She snapped. "That is not your proposal!" Zoro just shrugged at her.

"You brought it up."

"No," Sanji said again. "You're not asking me to marry you in sweatpants in this apartment. I don't care how long it takes you to ask, but you're doing it properly! I want flowers, moonlight- all that romantic shit. You got that, Marimo?" 

"Huh, you're more femme than I thought," Zoro teased, leaning on his elbows.

"Yeah well, some things are important." Sanji finished up the socks, packing away her sewing kit. 

"It's okay, babe," Zoro reassured her. "I'll do it properly."

"Good." Sanji shot him a death glare, lighting up a cigarette. "I'll make us some dinner." 

"Hey, Mrs. Zoro, get your husband another beer?" 

The kick to his chest was predictable but worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry... 
> 
> Please give me your feedback <3 
> 
> (Also, just so you know I took French in High School but don't speak/use it regularly. If there are any French speakers who want to call me out on my crap use of the language please don't hesitate to do so XD)
> 
> If you like my work and want to support my writing please I take commissions [here](https://ko-fi.com/taurnil) page and [Here](https://www.fiverr.com/taurnil_writes)  
> Or you could drop me a message at my [Tumblr](https://taurnil.tumblr.com/) I'm always excited to hear feedback on my work and suggestions for my WIP('s?)


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